Travelling from Lauterbrunnen to Venice by train

Not much choice on routing to Venice. First, you will take a 22-min train from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost. Next, take a different regional Swiss train to Spiez. Next, take an IC or EC-type train from Spiez to Milan. The EC train is fairly fast. Finally, you can take a fast Italian Frecciarossa or .italo train from Milan to Venice. 4 trains. Be careful on your scheduling - some runs have 5-6 trains. 7-8 hours depending on the run. Don't fret about the trains. It's a great experience. You can buy the tickets for the entire journey on www.trainline.com or at the Swiss rail network www.sbb.ch/en. Trainline is much easier. You can get great fares if you book 90 days in advance.

Thank you.

ugh, that sounds like a lot of work, esp. lugging a LOT of luggage around.

Do i have any less complicated options? Like a taxi or car serviceI guess to Spiez?
There are no other trains that go straight to Venice, maybe leaving from somewhere besides Interlaken?

know there are probably multiple trains and routes and options, but I get very overwhelmed when I look at the rail options.

Not really, there is just the quickest route.

Are there different sites for different rail lines?

There are multiple rail companies involved, but they are not offering different or competing routes. They each have different territories. Wengen to Venice will involve three, but that need not worry you, they all interconnect, so it will be a seamless trip with one through ticket, same as it will be getting to Wengen.

I see some places say we would switch trains in Milan....but are there direct trains?

Travelling by train involves changing trains, that is how they work. They are a network of interconnecting routes. You do not get trains from everywhere to everywhere, that is like saying "I want to drive from New York to Smallville, but I want to stay on the same Freeway all the way, no road junctions", totally unreasonable.
And Wengen is in the Alps half way up the side of a valley. To get there from Interlaken (the connection to and from the rest of the world) involves two trains.

You buy tickets up to 120 days in advance (though it does vary).

I suggest you go the the Trainline website: https://www.thetrainline.com/
and enter Wengen to Venezia S. Lucia, and enter a date in ~3 months time (October/November), and a time of day, and you can see times and prices.

Do i have any less complicated options? Like a taxi or car serviceI guess to Spiez?
There are no other trains that go straight to Venice, maybe leaving from somewhere besides Interlaken?

Wengen is half way up a mountain, you can't drive there, no cars, just trains.
You are not leaving from Interlaken, you are leaving from Wengen. The route is dictated by the mountains, you have to go via Interlaken to get into or out of the Jungfrau Region, then to Spiez to connect with the route south (unless you hire a helicopter to fly over the Alps ☺)

Note that if you are going to Wengen, you will experience the same quantity of trains getting there as you exiting out to Spiez. As for luggage issues, travel light. My wife and I were recently on a 3-week trip to Austria, Germany and The Netherlads. We each had only one carrying-on bag and one small extra bag. No checked luggage. My second bag was a medium backpack that we take for our purchases. It came back a bit full. I did check this bag coming home. 16 trains - three with 4-5 minute changes. No problems. Travel light. You'll be fine.

Note also that Switzerland has dozens and dozens of different train systems with many having their own track systems. Some are different gauge and require train changes. The Berner Oberland has about 6 different train systems. They work seamlessly together and all can be booked on the major train websites. That's the way it works there. It's fabulous.

We did this last month — traveled from Muerren to Venice. It looks overwhelming when you see all the connections, but it’s really easy in real life. After spending a few days in Switzerland, you’ll realize that everything connects seamlessly and you’ll switch trains and lifts like a pro.

For our trip, we used our Berner Oberland passes to Brig and then I purchased the Brig to Venice segment on Trenitalia’s website. There are a couple of direct trains per day from Brig to Venezia San Lucia, or if that schedule doesn’t work for you, you can connect to a different train in Milan.

P.S. — make sure you have the SBB app when you are in Switzerland. It will tell you how to get anywhere.

Maybe I'm in over my head on this trip. This has been my dream trip as long as I can remember but I'm concerned about the logistics as it's just me and my 2 (tween/teen) kids. I cant lift any luggage (I can wheel tho!) And we are not light packers by any means. We'll be cruising when we get to venice so we need all those evening outfits in addition to day.......on our recent similar trip we had 3 large suitcases, 3 small (carrying size) suitcases, and a personal item each (duffel/backpacks). maybe I could get the 3 large cases down to 3 medium.......

As an alternative, maybe I should scratch staying up the mountain. Stay somewhere at the bottim where we could drive to Spiez and get on the train there. .......now I need to research towns/hotels down there that will work.

ETA: I just talked to my son. What about if we stay in wengen, when we get to lauterbrunnen we take a car to Spiez and get on train there? That will cut out dragging luggage on/off at 2 trains. Is that feasible (or ridiculous)? We are going to pack lighter this time, but even still seems like such a hassle getting to and then waiting around for all these trains to get to venice.

Thanks for the information on the luggage. I do understand the luggage needed for a cruise. Our largest roller bags are for the cruise ships. We never use these bags for our European travel. It definitely is a liability when traveling on multiple trains especially when the train carriages have 3 steps and are narrow. You have passengers rushing to get off and get on. So much fun.

However, all that being said, Switzerland should not be missed. Also, when arriving into the area from Venice, you will change trains at Spiez and then travel to Interlaken Ost (Ost means North). Your comment to travel to Interlaken Ost and then take a car back to Spiez won't work. The train from Spiez will take you right back to Interlaken Ost. Remember my comment above about the different railways? From Interlaken Ost to Wengen, you will be on two. First, the BOB (Berner Oberland Bahn) to Lauterbrunnen and the WAB (Wengernalp Railway) from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen. Not to worry. You'll see different colored trains but you won't see any difference in your travel.

Note also, no tourist cars in Wengen. However, one alternative you have might be the postal bus system. Don't be confused by the word "postal". It's the Swiss bus system. The combined Swiss/bus system is the finest in the world. However, there are those pesky changes. 4 from Brig and 3 from Spiez. But, it might be easier on the bus.

Finally, you might let your children get in on your travel plans. They do become quite good at it

Thank you for the help...eventually it will all click in my mind (hopefully). I may not have been clear though, we only need to get the train from wengen to venice, on our way TO Wengen, we'll be flying in from the US, and I will get a car to take us from the airport as close to Wengen as it can bring me (which I think would be lauterbrunnen?)

It's only when we leave Wengen to head to Venice that I'm trying to figure out. I originally was just going to fly to venice, but my son is really wanting to take the train and I thought it would be fun, just like another day trip, vs. The hassle of the airport and flying....but now I see flying is probably simpler, lol.

So in this case, going from Wengen to Venice - does my plan still not work - driving from lauterbrunnen to spiez? When I googled it said it was a 30 minute drive.

Thanks for the help. I only ever drive places, we dont even have buses in the suburbs where I live. And if I couldnt drive for whatever reason, I'd just uber/lyft. A Train wouldn't even cross my mind, lol. Not that we dont have them, it's just so much easier to drive.

Ok....I missed it the first time -- steps to get to the trains?!?! are you saying we have to actually bring our luggage with us onto each train car? I was thinking like a shuttle bus or plane where they take your luggage and store it underneath or somewhere. I cant even imagine the logistics of having all that stuff in the actual train car. And getting it up and downstairs each time you have to change trains?!? 😳😯🙄

With your aversion to getting on and off trains with luggage, you might be better off staying at a hotel in Lauterbrunnen and visiting Wengen ( and Mürren) on a daytrip. You could rent a car in Zurich and drive yourself, or book a car service for the journey ( probably quite expensive). If you can rent a car n Zurich and return it to Spiez, that would be ideal. If you use a car service, see if they will also pick you up in Lauterbrunnen at the end of your stay and drive you to Spiez.

At Spiez, make sure you get one of the few trains that goes all the way to MIlan, without a change of trains at Brig.

And it you really want to stay up in a mountain village instead of Lauterbrunnen, I suggest Mürren. You can roll your luggage from the Lauterbrunnen train station to the cablecar station, and hand your luggage over to the attendant at ground level before you head up the escalator to the boarding area. He will load the luggage into a cart that attaches to the cablecar. At the top ( Grutschalp) the luggage cart is attached to the back of the little train that takes you to Mürren. At Mürren, the luggage is unloaded from the cart and set on the platform, where you pick it up. Then roll your way to your hotel (book something close to the train station).

I cant lift any luggage (I can wheel tho!) And we are not light packers by any means. We'll be cruising when we get to venice so we need all those evening outfits in addition to day.......on our recent similar trip we had 3 large suitcases, 3 small (carrying size) suitcases, and a personal item each (duffel/backpacks).
aybe I should scratch staying up the mountain. Stay somewhere at the bottim where we could drive to Spiez and get on the train there

Lamb, what you are saying worries me. Taking a car to Spiez does not solve your luggage problem, in a way it just makes it worse as you need to get it out of the station to the car at Lauterbrunnen, and from car back into station at Spiez. And it would take longer, and cost a lot of money.
You still need to get it on the train at Spiez.
"I cant lift any luggage (I can wheel tho!)" - so how are you going to get your bags up and down stairs at the station? Stations do not have escalators.
And how are you going to get it into and out of the train, and move it inside the train the few steps to the luggage racks?
See this short video, it shows the doors of an Italian train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDmRQPo5vM
And this photo of a Swiss train door (click here).
Could you get your bags up and down these steps?

"are you saying we have to actually bring our luggage with us onto each train car? I was thinking like a shuttle bus or plane where they take your luggage and store it underneath or somewhere." - yes, exactly that. You walk into the station carrying your own luggage, walk to the train, get on and sit in your seat. You stow your luggage in the overhead racks or the floor-to-ceiling racks at the end of the coach in some trains only. It is totally DIY, you do not interact with anyone. Tickets are checked after the train is underway. Same at the destination. It is your sole responsibility to get off at the correct stations, there are announcements, but nobody to tell you to get off.

And Venice station (click for photo), no cars here.

This post is long enough. The take-away is if you are travelling by train you need two items per person only, one you can carry on your back, and one you can wheel at the same time plus carry up and down flights of stairs. Each person carries their own luggage.
And travelling by any other means you have just as much problem at car-free Wengen and road-free Venice.

"on our way TO Wengen, we'll be flying in from the US, and I will get a car to take us from the airport as close to Wengen as it can bring me (which I think would be lauterbrunnen?)" - have you actually costed out a car from Zürich airport to Lauterbrunnen?
And you still have the luggage-on-train issue from Lauterbrunnen up to Wengen.
Just go by train from Zürich airport to Wengen.

If the luggage will so difficult using trains, how will you get it around Venice? There are bridges (all have steps except a couple) and no ramps, and the vaporettos are moving up and down at the docks.

How strong and mature are the children? You say tween/teen. Wimpy and 10/13, or strong and self confident 12/17? Can they help moving all the luggage?

It might be a good idea if you watch some of the Rick Steves videos about train travel, probably his video about the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and have a read of the Swiss and Italian parts of *The Man in Seat 61" for hints and descriptions of what you are letting yourself in for. The great bit - millions of people have done the same trip, and it can be done, and after you have done it you will pat yourself on the back and compliment yourself on how well you did it.

If the connections seem too close you can always put in a longer connection time and arrange to take the next trains...

Re: s as our way TO wherever we stay in Switzerland, We most likely will be flying into Geneva, if that matters.
Ugh, why does this have to be so complicated? Yet, it cant really be THAT complicated or nobody would go there, lol.
My kids are pretty helpful, but not particularly strong, lol. My son will be 16 and says he will take care of all the luggage, he just wants to stay UP the mountain. But hes like 6'1 and 120 lbs. My daughter will be 12, she'll help a bit. The 3 of us did manage to lug everything around several airports and several hotels and a ship this summer but, that was mostly rolling. On the rare occasion they had to be lifted up a curb, my son did that. The big suitcases were about 50 lbs. Each, so it wasnt easy with his skinny arms, but he managed. Me and my daughter are able to lift the smaller cases (probably 20-25 lbs). I'll def. Pack lighter this time but really how much less weight wise will it really be?

How do disabled people get around there? There must be lifts and ramps for them???

I need to hire a strong male(or female) to accompany me around on this trip and carry my luggage, lol. Surely someone in switzerland has thought of this??. 🤣

Aha, Luggage storage!! Thats a thing now. Is it common in switzerland? If I drop it somewhere before heading up the mountain, someplace that I would also go by on my way to venice that could cut down on some of the issue.

There are luggage lockers at the Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken Ost train stations. Leaving the suitcases you do not need for your mountain stay at Interlaken would save you a couple of luggage transfers in each direction.

But how long will you stay in the village? The lockers I have used in Switzerland had a 48- hour limit. If that applies, you might have to return to the lockers and pay another fee for additional time.

It is not complicated, it is simple. Trains are a lot simpler than flying, you get on and they take you from A to B.
It is about as complicated as using a lift (elevator), just make sure you get on the right one going in the correct direction, and get off at the correct floor/station.
The complication is that you are wanting to bring more luggage than you can transport without assistance.

"Yet, it cant really be THAT complicated or nobody would go there, lol."- ah, but the Swiss would not travel with that much luggage.

Geneva airport to Lauterbrunnen by car+driver would be very expensive.

"On the rare occasion they had to be lifted up a curb, my son did that."- so what about the 3 steps up into the train (photo in last post), or a full flight of stairs in the station? Most have ramps, but not all.

"How do disabled people get around there? There must be lifts and ramps for them???" - there are lifts and ramps. Depending on the station, this may be the staff cargo lift to the platform, or a lift up into the train. You have to contact the railway company in advance to arrange this. It is not for luggage.

Luggage storage - many large stations have luggage storage. You can also send your luggage from Geneva airport to Lauterbrunnen. This takes about 24 hours.
See here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/luggage.html

This does not solve the problem of you needing to get your bags on and off the trains to Venice, and from Venice station to your hotel.
I think you need to reduce the amount of luggage to something where each person can wrangle their own luggage.

Trains in Europe are not like Amtrak in the U.S. There are no separate luggage cars. Yes there are ramps and stairs to get to the trains but once at your carriage, all of your luggage is carried up the three stairs into the carriage. It's also carried back down the 3 stairs. Most cars have overhead luggage racks over the seats and most have luggage areas at each end of the carriage. It's all your labor only.

If you are flying into Geneva, you may need to take the train to Bern and then transfer to a direct train to Intrlaken Ost. The alternative is the Golden Pass scenic train. A beautiful and scenic train but you will experience 2 train changes

It won't be easy with large roller luggage in Venice either. Depending on where you are staying, you may have to roll over multiple wooden arch-type bridges over the many small canals.

I guess that this can be complicated to a disabled person. As a partially disabled person myself, I have noticed on our travels that when it comes to handicap access, much of Europe (especially Italy) and the USA are on different planets.

I travel with my family of 5 — me, husband, mom-in-law (77), daughter (14), and son (13). My son is disabled and travels for the most part in a stroller. I handle his luggage, my husband handles my son. I would be thrilled to travel with just 2 other people capable of handling their own bags so that I could carry only mine!

You can do this, just figure out a strategy, which probably means reducing what you are carrying. If each person had a manageable suitcase plus a personal bag/backpack, you’d be all set. There are tons of threads on the RS packing forum about packing light — great tips that would help you cut down on the bulk and weight of what you travel with. If each person can handle his/her own luggage, you are golden.

I posted trip reports for our Switzerland and Venice travels that include details around what bags we carry, who carries what, and any difficulties we encountered in transportation (few, and solve-able):

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/trip-report-6-days-in-switzerland

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/trip-report-4-days-in-venice

It all seems overwhelming now, in the planning stages, but if you can manage to get yourself to the state where everyone handles his/her own stuff, imagine how easy it will be!

And keep asking questions — this community is a tremendous resource, full of helpful and practical advice.

Best of luck in your planning — you are on your way to a truly wonderful vacation!

P.S. — my daughter is 5’5” and 90 lbs, not exactly heavyweight lifting material. She’s handled her own luggage entirely since she was 11: we’ve never helped her (we have too much else to deal with!).

She copes by packing very light. Her suitcase (a RS rolling backpack) usually weighs around 12 lbs fully loaded.

Just mentioning so that you might consider a similar strategy for your daughter.

Ok, thanks for walking me through all the options, I think I have it now. Someone, correct me if I'm wrong:

1) Pack lighter. I cannot bring my large suitcases. My son could barely lift them to get them up a curb. I'm going to go with 3 medium size and if we still need more space, I'll have my kids get those giant backpacks (what else are kids good for if not to carry our stuff? ;) )

2) Get a car from Geneva airport to Interlaken. OR If the cost is outrageous, take a train from the airport to Bern, then Bern to Interlaken. Either way, I will drop some of our luggage off at Interlaken*

*I cannot find any definitive answer on whether they have luggage storage here or just lockers. Ive found a hundred posts over the years from people asking if there is luggage storage there, and everyone just replies with a link to the SBB website. On the website, when you go to Interlaken Ost page and look under services, it just says "Baggage".....no description. I have spent the past couple hours trying to find more specific information, or at least first-hand information, and have come up with nothing. I guess this is one of the great mysteries of Switzerland. If just lockers I guess we can drop some of our smaller bags there? And if larger storage areas, our bigger bags. I will need to find out for sure first so I know what to pack in which bags as obviously I can leave all of our cruise clothes in Interlaken.

3) Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen (with less luggage - yay!)

4) Lauterbrunnen to Wengen

Then when leaving Switzerland:

1) Wengen to Lauterbrunnen

2) Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost. Pick up luggage (More luggage - booo!)

3) Interlaken to Spiez

4) Spiez to Milan

5) Milan to Venice

I can't think about what I will do when I get to Venice right now. I have to get through this part first.

And for the record, I am not disabled, I just have VERY bad back/neck issues which is fine as long as I don't try to lift anything more than a few pounds.

posted trip reports for our Switzerland and Venice travels that
include details around what bags we carry, who carries what, and any
difficulties we encountered in transportation (few, and solve-able):

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/trip-report-6-days-in-switzerland

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/trip-report-4-days-in-venice

It all seems overwhelming now, in the planning stages, but if you can
manage to get

awesome, I will check it out!

I will drop some of our luggage off at Interlaken*
*I cannot find any definitive answer on whether they have luggage storage here or just lockers. Ive found a hundred posts over the years from people asking if there is luggage storage there, and everyone just replies with a link to the SBB website. On the website, when you go to Interlaken Ost page and look under services, it just says "Baggage".....no description.

The link is this: https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/further-stations/station.7492.interlaken-ost.html
If you click on "Baggage" you get a little bit more info:

Baggage
Opening hours Mon.–Sun. 07:00 - 18:30
Contact 033 828 73 20

That implies a manned office, not just luggage lockers. If you want more info, you could try ringing that number, between the hours stated (Swiss time).
You would need to dial: + 41 33 828 73 20
+ is whatever code you need to get international numbers from your phone. That is different depending on which country you are dialling from
41 is the country code for Switzeralnd.

"I cannot bring my large suitcases. My son could barely lift them to get them up a curb." - Left luggage at Interlaken does not solve the problem of getting bags into and out of trains Interlaken - Spiez - Milano - Venezia, and getting to your hotel in Venezia/Venice.
You will have to go through the pain now and only bring what you can carry.

I hope this all turns out OK. To me, it all sounds easy as I take Swiss trains regularly. I just get on, it is about as difficult as using a lift/elevator in a shopping centre.

No, it does not solve the problem completely but at least it cuts down on the # of times we have to handle ALL the luggage.

Since luggage seems to be a big issue for you, here is a modest proposal.
You say you are flying into Geneva airport. There is luggage storage room there for 10 CHF per day up to 30 days. You can leave your heavy cruise luggage there. Then go by train to Wengen with just the luggage you need for your stay there.
https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Passagers/Shopping/Services/Consignes/Guichet-bagages-CFF
You will then of course have to return all the way to Geneva airport to retrieve your luggage. You then have 2 options to continue to Venice.
Fly Easyjet to Venice. Be sure to purchase luggage adders with your tickets well in advance.
There is also one train per day direct from Geneva main station to Venice Santa Lucia. It departs at 7:39 am and arrives in Venice at 2:40 pm. Since it is a morning train, you will need to travel to Geneva the day before and stay overnight in Geneva.

You can see the size and number of the lockers at Interlaken Ost station here:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/further-stations/station.7492.interlaken-ost.html

The large ones are 88cm/35.6 inches high.

I would say Sam has offered an excellent solution to the luggage problem.

Congratulations. You're doing much better. I really like Sam's suggestion. Two great options. Note that at large train stations and many airports in Europe, they have "left luggage" facilities. Left in this usage means leaving your luggage. These are usually staffed facilities where you leave your luggage and they store it on shelves or other areas behind the counter. We've done this and we've needed to show our passports to get our luggage back. Quite secure. A website showing hours of operation generally indicates a staffed facility.

Sam definitely has the best suggestion. Book that Geneva to Venice flight as soon as you are sure of your dates - the price will only go up.

Another one is, are you SURE you need all those clothes for your cruise? I get that you need more than for a land-based vacation, but most ships have more relaxed dress codes than in the past. Unless you're going on one of the lines that still has multiple formal nights, you can probably get away with fewer changes than you did before.

There is also luggage forwarding within Switzerland by Swiss Rail. I see from a quick glance at the website that you can have it sent door to door (such as from one hotel to another), or can have it sent station to station (this probably won't work for you, since you still have to heft it on and off the train). If you do the door to door option, you'd still have to carry a small bag with valuables and things you'll need while waiting for the luggage to arrive (such as a change of clothes, toiletries, etc). And, since it per item, it won't be cheap. But, if you can't make Sam's idea work, this is another option. Details of all the options here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/luggage/luggage.html

There is also luggage forwarding within Switzerland by Swiss Rail. . . . , or can have it sent station to station (this probably won't work for you, since you still have to heft it on and off the train).

The luggage service (station-to-station or door-to-door) DOES NOT travel on the same train as you, you do not "have to heft it on and off the train". Normal passenger trains do not have luggage vans, nor are their any on-train staff to to load and unload bags.
It takes many hours, often overnight. So you need one small bag with you for your first night.
On the station-to-station service you hand over and collect your bags from luggage rooms at the station, so it only works to and from stations with luggage storage.

I too like Sam's idea of leaving your bags at Geneva airport, and having one bag only in Switzerland, then flying Geneva to Venice.

This still does not solve the problem of bag-wrangling in Venice. Are you going direct to the ship or staying in a hotel in Venice?
Hotels in Venice may not have space in the room for multiple big cases.

I am intrigued by the luggage forwarding service and leaving our luggage at Geneva to be sent to.......where? I keep seeing mention of picking it up 2 days later...... if I HAVE to pick it up 2 days later, that won't help me. It would be perfect if I could send it to Interlaken, then have it put in a locker 'til i needed it 5 days later. Then we'd only have to deal with getting it onto the trains at Interlaken, Spiez, and Milan.

Then picking up luggage at Interlaken, the schedule I saw that listed the exact times for Wengen-Venice, looked like a very tight schedule, so is that going to be an issue? If it takes longer than a couple minutes to get my luggage and I miss the switch at Interlaken, then am I possibly missing one of the later connections and ending up waiting hours for a train? (i haven't studied the schedules to see how many trains per day make the trip on each leg).

This is just too much thinking and planning. I'm guess I'm glad I did think about it this early because it never in a million years would have occurred to me to think about luggage. So now I know I have to pack lighter. But, to be honest, I was "packing light" on my most recent trip/cruise, and ended up with 3 large suitcases, along with the smaller carryon suitcases and duffel bags and backpacks. So realistically, I don't know know how I could ever go from that, down to a few small carry- ons.

I think I just have to pack as light as I can, and then know that we're going to be dragging it all around . My son will do the heavy lifting. If I can confirm that we won't miss a connection that will set us back hours upon picking up luggage at Interlaken on our way to Venice, then I will store some of it there. I think there's enough trains from Wengen to Interlaken that we could just head there like an hour earlier than needed to make our other connections, correct?

Yes, you can take an earlier train from Wengen to Interlaken. Trains starting at 5:04 am and every 30 minutes thereafter, all connecting at Lauterbrunnen.

You can send your unneeded luggage from the station at Geneva airport to Interlaken Öst, but you will have to pick it up yourself and move it to a locker at that station. They won't do that for you. And you may have to deal with a 48-hour limit on the lockers. (the train station lockers we use at Kandersteg do have such a limit). If there is one, you will have to return to Interlaken to add more coins.

The transfer time at Interlaken Öst from the train coming from Lauterbrunnen to the one heading to Spiez is usually 7 minutes. While that is probably enough to allow you time to retrieve the bags from the lockers, it would greatly relieve your stress to take an earlier train from Wengen. They generally run every 30 minutes.

Lamb, I think you misunderstood Sam's suggestion.
The idea is you dump your bags at Geneva airport as soon as you land, and travel (by train) unencumbered to Lauterbrunnen (or Wengen).
You then double back to Geneva airport, pick up your bags and fly from there to Venice.
That solves most of the problems, but you may still have luggage problems getting from Venice airport to your hotel in Venice or to the ship.

5/10/15 minutes to change trains is normal for Swiss Railways, and is plenty of time as long as you don't add another activity, such as buying a coffee or retrieving bags.
Missing your train in Switzerland is no big issue, as there is always another train in 30 or 60 minutes time.
Missing your connection in Italy is more of an issue as Italian tickets are specific to one train (same as air tickets are).

Hi, Lamb.

This has been an interesting and v. involved read. So, I am wondering - is Switzerland set in stone for this trip or might the Dolomites be your mountain fix and Switzerland a visit sometime in the future? Venice to the Dolomites is perhaps more straightforward by train, and perhaps by coach? I have only ever taken the train. Just something to think about. You could land in Munich and train south to the Dolomites and then on to Venice or aim for the Venice airport for both arrival and departure.

Also, not for booking tickets, but in case a visualization of a route may help, try using rome2rio. I find it helpful for exploring.

Debbie

Chris,

My son REALLLY wants to do a big scenic train ride thing, that's why I was planning to take the train to Venice. Is the train ride to/from Geneva "scenic" enough to satisfy him?
What about to/from Zurich - would that be any better?

This has been an interesting and v. involved read. So, I am wondering
- is Switzerland set in stone for this trip or might the Dolomites be your mountain fix and Switzerland a visit sometime in the future?

Switzerland has been #1 on my 'bucket list as long as I can remember. I never got to travel to Europe as I'd always wanted (this summer was my first time, and I wanted to do Switzerland, but my kids had no interest whatsoever in going to Europe, they thought it sounded horrible. I could have booked it anyways, but I wanted them to be excited about it. So I said "we are going to Europe! you can pick where in Europe - but we are going!", and they picked Scandinavia. And so, next year, it has to be Switzerland, no negotiations. And for the record, they did end up loving all the countries we went to this summer, so they are more on board with our trips now.

And to get a little morbid, I just turned 50 - I can't put Switzerland off any longer, I could die before I get there, lol.

Chris,

My son REALLLY wants to do a big scenic train ride thing, that's why I
was planning to take the train to Venice. Is the train ride to/from
Geneva "scenic" enough to satisfy him? What about to/from Zurich -
would that be any better?

Looking at flights from Switzerland to Venice, I see Zurich has more nonstop options. That's why now I'm adding Zurich to the mix, lol.

You say you are from Massachusetts, and since Swiss has 2 direct flights a day from Boston to Zurich, It would be a good idea to fly there. They also have 3 direct flights a day from Zurich to Venice, I've been on them.

There is also long term luggage storage at Zurich airport.
https://www.zurich-airport.com/passengers-and-visitors/airport-services-en/baggage-service

The train ticket office is 2 levels down from there, and the train platforms down another level. If you want the most scenic train trip to Wengen, ask to go via Luzern. The section between Luzern and Interlaken Ost is very scenic, over the Bruenig Pass and train has panorama cars. It takes a little longer than the "standard" route, but is slightly cheaper as the distance is shorter. Swiss Int'l Air website is showing booking open through mid August 2020.

You don't say where your cruise ends, but you could return via Zurich from most places in Europe on Swiss International. Thus you could book a multi-city trip all on Swiss. From past experience, you would have to pay extra for luggage on the Zurich-Venice leg, but one bag free Boston to Zurich and final cruise port to Boston.

PS trial booking BOS>ZRH, ZRH>VCE, BCN>BOS for July, 2020 shows $3187 for 3 passengers.

The cruise ends in Barcelona and that flight is already booked.

I think Zurich is the way to go. I was thinking we were going to get a ride from airport to Wengen. But if we take the train back and forth between Zurich and Wengen, I think that is enough "scenic train ride" for my son. And I can leave the luggage at Zurich. And if flying there aren't many (if any) direct flights out of Geneva to Venice, and I'm not dealing with switching planes in addition to all the train-switching going on. So it would have to be Zurich.

The only problem is Ive been reciting the Wengen-Geneva route over and over in my mind for the past few days. Now I have to discard that and learn the route to Zurich. :p

And also, I've seen a few posts on the various rail pass options. Holy mackerel....and I thought just the rail options were confusing,now i have to figure what passes to get. :o

Between now and July, 2020, you'll have plenty of time to think about rail passes. There are several options, but you really don't have to decide until you arrive. If you get a Swiss Travel Pass, you can get a free Family Card and your 12 yo daughter will travel free with you the whole time in Switzerland. Your 16 yo son will qualify for a youth discount for a Swiss Travel Pass. Between now and departure think about exactly where you want to go and come up with the best option, 8-day continuous or a flex pass, 3 or 4 day. You do not have to buy these until you land in Switzerland.

You booked a one way flight from Barcelona already ??

Will a 12 and 17 year old really be interested in "all those evening outfits" ? When I traveled with a 12-year-old girl, the best I could manage was making her wear relatively clean clothes -- mostly shorts -- and running them through a laundromat as needed. (Of course, your experience may vary.)

Sam, yes, I always book 1 way flights. As soon as I'm 100% sure about a leg, I book it. There was.nothing for me to plan/think about for that flight, I knew I'm just coming straight home from barcelona.

*

r Will a 12 and 17 year old really be interested in "all those evening
outfits" ? When I traveled with a 12-year-old girl, the best I could
manage was making her wear relatively clean clothes -- mostly shorts
-- and running them throug
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Ha! My 12 yo Wants a fancy new dress for every night of the cruise! I will def. Not pack as many evening outfits or myself and son. This years cruise was 5 nts. longer than next years, so I had more evening clothes than I'll need for this one.

And I think I can leave the jackets and sweatshirts behind as well? Or will I possibly need some in switzerland?

But you said it was too early to book flights for July 2020. Anyway, sounds like an expensive way to go.

Even in July, it can cool off after the sun goes down in the mountains, so I would bring some warm clothing along. Be prepared for 50 deg F at night in Wengen, and if you go to the Jungfraujoch, 40 deg F. Right this minute, at 2:46 pm, it is 43 deg F and it is sunny.

I think I said it was too early to book the trains.

I usually find it cheaper to book separately versus booking RT. However I'm not the type who just goes online and books a flight the first time I think of it. I watch fares for a while, check multiple times a day and when I see a good price I book it. The fare igot coming home was $325/pp. UsD which I thought was pretty good.

It's great that you're trying to plan this trip yourself, but why not just pay a pro? Contact the Man at Seat 61 and he'll refer you to an expert in booking train travel, may not even cost that much. You've probably bitten off more than you can chew, they will help you carve your steak.

Hello, it's me again. I have another question. What do you all think about me renting a car and driving back and forth from Zurich Airport to Lauterbrunnen? Then I don't have to worry about storing luggage at Zurich airport, or dragging on/off trains, as I could just leave the extra luggage in the car while we are in Wengen? I do kind of like the experience of driving and being able to stop along the way if we see something that catches our eye. I probably won't use the car much during our stay in Wengen, we'll rely on the trains.
My son really wanted a "scenic train ride" and that's why I planned to take the train from/to the airport, but I see we can catch the Golden Pass in Interlaken so i figure we can do that one day and make a day of it. I think that should be enough to satisfy his "scenic train ride?" (in addition to anything else we do during the week as we will most likely be taking trains for that too)

Then we return the car to Zurich and either fly or take a train to Venice (not sure on that yet).

Does that seem like a reasonable plan?

Hi,
Regarding you car question, it would work...but there is a catch that rules it out for me: it is not reasonable to drive from Zürich to Lauterbrunnen right after a flight from overseas. Especially with just one driver. Second catch: you cannot drive to Wengen. You have to leave the car in Lauterbrunnen and take... a train!

So my suggestion would be to store luggage at Zürich airport as you mention (to me this is nothing to worry about!) if you decide to fly to Venice.

Or, if you'd rather take the train to Venice, you can use the Swiss Railways (SBB) luggage forwarding service. You go to the station in Zürich airport and send the big luggage you don't need to the train station in Spiez. 4 days of free storage is included in the luggage forwarding fee, after which it's CHF 5/item/day. There is some information on their website.
You can then travel light to Wengen/Lauterbrunnen, and when it's time to go to Italy, go from Wengen to Spiez, pick up the luggage in Spiez, then take the train from Spiez to Milan and from Milan to Venice. There are no stairs in Milan station, and the transfer is long (one hour), so it's manageable with luggage.

Also, if I may, I've never been on a cruise but 50 lb of luggage sounds staggering :-)

thanks, balso. Sigh. Every time I think I have it figured out, I end up more confused, lol.
I know 50 lbs. sounds a lot....it's really not! I think the suitcases themselves weigh at least 10 ;)
For our most recent trip the 3 of us had a suitcase each, so that's more like 150 lbs. Plus various carry ons and backpacks, etc.

I know I'm an overpacker anyways but then with cruises, you have to bring separate evening clothes, cant wear the clothes you've been touring around all day in. Guys aren't supposed to wear shorts in the main dining rooms which means long pants for my son (which take up more space). Shoes for evening, shoes for day time, pool and/or beach shoes, etc. Sweater for when its cool in the dining rooms. We need a fan and a white noise machine to sleep. 3 Umbrellas in case it rains (maybe not on this trip?). My son is an avid reader, he probably brings 10 books, I bring a couple myself. He's a drummer so he can't go anywhere without drumsticks and practice pads.

I'm going to do better for this trip though. I'm going to bring the smaller (mid size) suitcases which probably won't hold more than 40 lbs. each.

P.S. You should go on a cruise some day! They are fabulous.

I am increasingly curious about cruises so I might take the plunge someday (hopefully not literally).
Sorry that you feel things are complicated; I think that your idea to store bags at Zürich airport then fly to Venice is brilliant and hassle-free. That's what I would do in your situation. No driving, no heavy luggage.
I see on a random weekday this fall that there are two flights to Venice at about 1 PM, this is OK starting from Wengen at 7 AM (allows for 2 hour recommended arrival time plus time for baggage retrieval).

Be sure to check luggage allowance on intra-Europe flights, you are likely to need to pay extra to check luggage.